To answer the first question you might have, Satsuma is a type of orange, originating from Japan.

To answer the second question you might have, no, that is not relevant to the plot of ‘The Satsuma Complex’.

The way it relates to it is similar to ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’, where the book with that exact title exists within the novel’s universe.

Gary’s a thirty-year-old legal assistant who doesn’t really stand out. Except for his day job and popping by to chat with his elderly neighbour, Grace, not much is going on in his life. That is, until Brendan, an acquaintance whose private investigator firm is on their payroll, asks him to grab a pint. Even though the meeting is cut short, Gary doesn’t mind, as it allows him to talk to the girl he saw at the bar. When she leaves sometime after, without so much as a goodbye or sharing her name, Gary nicknames her ‘Satsuma’ for the book she left behind. The next morning, when he’s approached by the police with news of Brendan’s death, Gary knows he needs to do his best to Satsuma again. As the last person to see Brendan alive, he needs her to confirm his alibi and help remove him from the suspect list.

Just like that, Gary’s boring life takes a wild turn.

The way I decided to read this book (in an audiobook format) was because I kept seeing ‘The Hotel Avocado’ everywhere, whether on Audible or Spotify. Half an hour into it, it became quite apparent that I was missing some vital information to make sense of the story. Sure enough, a quick check on Goodreads confirmed that this is, in fact, a second novel in a series, and so, here we are now. This is also where I learned that the author, Bob Mortimer, is not just an author but also an English comedian and TV personality. A quick Google search confirmed I have no idea who Bob is, so highly irrelevant to my experience of this story.

I don’t know what to think about this book, to be honest. On the one hand, it is a mediocre crime novel. On the other hand, it has certain quirky humour that is simply enjoyable.

It’s good, but not amazing.

It’s funny, but only in some places.

I enjoyed listening to it, but I won’t ever go back to it again.

The story is good, but it is not the most profound, gripping crime thriller that puts you on the edge of your seat with every chapter.

It’s not trying to be that, though.

And I think this is where the problem lies with this book – there’s always a ‘but’.

Bob is a good storyteller, I’ll tell you that much, no ‘but’. His narration of the audiobook version was impressive, and years of experience in the entertainment industry clearly shone through.

‘The Satsuma Complex’ is a quick and quirky ‘who-dun-it’ read that I think will be most enjoyed by Bob Mortimer’s fans. For the rest of us out there, it is not a bad book, but…